FELLSMERE — Medical examiners were still working to identify a body found in a vacant lot over the weekend in Fellsmere as police search for leads in the death investigation.
Medical examiners told police the body had been at the lot anywhere from three-to-six weeks, officers said. The race and gender of the badly decomposed body was still undetermined as of Tuesday.
There were no obvious signs of trauma on the body, medical examiners told Fellsmere police.
An owner who had recently purchased a property found the body about 4 p.m. Saturday in a small wooded area on the south end of the lot, police said. The property is located in the area of North Willow Street and Lincoln Street, north of County Road 512.
“Due to the level of decomposition, the race and gender of the body have not been determined at this time,” Fellsmere Police Chief Keith Touchberry previously said. “The manner of death is also undetermined.”
Indian River County sheriff’s crime scene unit went to the site to collect evidence. Fellsmere police said personal items found underneath the body will likely help to identify the person.
An autopsy was conducted on the body at 9 a.m. Monday at the Medical Examiner’s Office in Fort Pierce.
Police were conducting interviews in the community and with nearby businesses for any information on the death. Officers were waiting on the person’s toxicology report results, which they said can take up to six weeks.
Police noted they have no active missing person cases. Those who have information about the death can anonymously contact the Fellsmere Police Department at 772-571-1360.
Touchberry said the body found is not believed to be Amanda Towne, who went missing in a location less than half-a-mile from where the remains were found. Indian River County deputies said Towne was last seen March 2, 2020, at a residence in the 13400 block of 99th Street in unincorporated Fellsmere.
Deputies have searched for the mother of three since she vanished, but have had no luck. Towne’s family is offering a $2,500 reward for anyone with information on the woman’s whereabouts.
